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Additional support for youth is desperately needed in the United States, as current mental health trends depict a dire state of affairs for this population, warranting systemic change. School-based mental health (SBMH) programs may be an effective strategy for addressing the needs of youth, as well as improving systems of support found within K-12 schools. This article presents the School Health Hub (SHH) model that provides a uniquely innovative framework for working alongside diverse populations of K-12 students, educators, and community stakeholders. Successful implementation of the SHH model has taken place in a local Midwest school district through interdisciplinary collaboration with several programs in a nearby university. Graduate students and faculty members from American Psychological Association (APA)-accredited counseling psychology doctoral and counseling master’s, early childhood education, and public health education programs located within the university’s college of education and human development provide clinical and consultation, public health education, and family engagement services within selected school district schools. The SHH model provides unique professional development opportunities by training and supervising graduate students in culturally responsive SBMH practices to promote access, equity, well-being, and academic progress for school community stakeholders. Grounded in a social justice orientation, the model aims to reduce mental health and educational disparities that are further exacerbated by recent legislation targeting our marginalized populations, while supporting and fostering improved educator effectiveness. This article outlines funding mechanisms; the training and supervision structure; provided clinical, consultation, and engagement services; and measures of effectiveness to guide other university-based programs in replicating the SHH model.
Nelson et al. (Sat,) studied this question.